Page 17

Opening the crate, I assess each weapon inside. It’s filled with handguns, hand grenades, and semi-automatic rifles. I inspect the scopes and the ammunition.

“Prepare these to be shipped to Arizona,” I order one of our men. He nods, closing the crate.

I move on to the next, then the next, ensuring everything is up to our standard.

Many people are against arms dealing, but war and violence will always be present until the end of time. We just happen to be smart enough to capitalize on it.

Unfortunately, we’ve been targeted by an unknown threat. They’d ransacked one of our warehouses – stealing $100,000 worth of weapons and ammunition. Declan completely lost it, for obvious reasons. Now we’re working to find out who was responsible. Security and routine checks on the remaining warehouses have increased.

Tensions are high and everyone is on full alert.

Very few people have the balls to go against the Moore family, but every thread we tug leads to nothing useful.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I glance at the screen for what seems to be the twentieth time in the past hour. I growl when I don’t see a response from her, then shove my phone back in my pocket.

Sarah has been avoiding me for days and it’s pissing me the fuck off.

I don’t know what her deal is. We had a great fucking time last week; at least I thought we did.

She’s nothing like any of the women I’ve been with in the past. She’s unbelievably beautiful. She’s strong, unafraid to be herself. Sexy as sin.

When she challenged then submitted to me? I almost blew my load in my fucking pants.

She’s perfect for me. Made for me.

So, what the fuck is her problem? I don’t chase women, they come to me. But I’m two seconds away from marching over to her apartment, laying her over my knee, and spanking the fuck out of her ass until her porcelain skin is red with my mark. Then I’d make her regret even attempting to avoid me.

I gave her a small taste of what brats get when they don’t obey. Maybe it’s high time I show her more.

With a smirk and an idea, I continue my rounds of the various warehouses we have in the city.

* * *

Parking the SUV, I make my way inside the mansion.

“I’m taking Paige on a trip.” I pause at the sound of Declan’s voice. Spinning, I spot him walking down the hallway in my direction.

“Oh yeah?” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. “I got everything locked down here.”

“I know you do, brother. I just need to ask you for a favor.”

I nod for him to continue.

“Paige is anxious about leaving Sarah alone, so she’ll need to stay with you over the weekend. Keep her safe.”

My brows furrow. “Safe? What does she need protection from?” Aside from me.

Declan runs a tattooed hand down his face, rubbing the trimmed scruff he keeps on his jaw.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Paige has demons but she’s refusing to let me in.”

Declan became instantly attached to Paige the moment he spotted her in the club. He’s made it his mission to get her to fall in love with him.

He drops his hand from his face, letting it hang loosely at his side. “Whatever it is, it’s eating away at her enough that she’s near panicked about leaving Sarah.”

Stepping forward, I rest my hand on his shoulder and give it a squeeze. “Sarah is good staying with me. I’ll keep her safe,” I promise.

This is my chance to see what’s going through Sarah’s head.

“Thanks, brother. I’m getting my shit packed then heading out. I’ll let Paige know Sarah is going to stay with you.”

I nod, slapping a hand against his back. He jogs up the steps to his bedroom, leaving me with my thoughts.

How much danger are Paige and Sarah in?

What could possibly be so threatening that Paige is reluctant to leave her friend alone?

Whatever it is, I’ll be damned if anything harms Sarah.

* * *

I grimace when the scent of stale beer and body odor invades my nose. The door shuts behind me and I scan the room, searching for the tall blonde that’s been filling my thoughts since the first night we met.

My hands fist when I see her behind the bar with a shirt that’s so short and tight it might as well be a fucking bra. Her tits are nearly falling out at the top as she leans forward, smiling at the overweight man that’s slumped on the bar top.

Storming over, I crowd him. “Move,” I growl, menacingly.

“Rhys?” Sarah says but my stare remains on the man in the stool.

“What’s your problem, man? There are other seats,” he slurs, his eyes glossy, skin flushed with intoxication.

“You have three seconds to get your ass out of this fucking bar before I rip out your throat,” I threaten and his eyes widen, seeing the truth in my glare.

He scrambles out of his seat, sending the stool crashing to the beer-stained floor. “S-sorry, man,” he stammers before rushing toward the exit.

“Are you serious, Rhys?” Sarah barks, slamming her hands against the bar top.

I straighten the stool then sit down, facing her. “Dead.”

“Jerry is a regular. Why would you do that?”

“Your smiles, your tits, even your fucking voice, are mine. ”

Her eyes narrow to slits. “Get the fuck out.”

“Did you forget you’re staying with me?” I smirk, leaning forward. She pulls away and crosses her arms.

“That doesn’t mean you can march in here and threaten people like a fucking psycho, Rhys.”

I shrug, unapologetic for my actions.

She huffs in annoyance then moves to help the customers who just sat at the end of the bar. I watch her effortlessly maneuver around the space. She smiles politely, pours drinks with practiced movements.

When she’s finished, she returns to her spot in front of me with a scowl.

“Just because I’m staying with you, doesn’t mean you need to be here. Get me from my apartment.”

“Why would I do that when you finish your shift in an hour?”

Fire burns in her eyes.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” I state calmly.

Her gaze instantly drops to the ground. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I chuckle under my breath. “That’s how you want to play this?”

“I’m not playing anything,” she snaps, her hardened gaze quickly leveling with mine.

“Sure, you’re not.” I smirk.

She opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted by a massive, bald-headed man calling her name from the door labeled Employees Only.

She glances over her shoulder, and he jerks his chin, summoning her toward him.

With a quick flick of her eyes in my direction, she leaves me seated at the bar and follows him.

The hour passes quickly, and soon, Sarah is pulling her purse from behind the bar and hoisting it over her shoulder.

I stand when she rounds it and strides toward the door without glancing at me.

The brat has come out to play again.

My cock thickens as ideas of how to make her submit flash through my mind. I follow her out and grip her elbow when she tries walking down the sidewalk, away from me.

“Let go,” she hisses.

“Not until you tell me what the fuck your problem is,” I growl, pulling her into my chest.

“I don’t have a problem. I got what I wanted from you and moved on.”

“Is that so?”

She tries escaping my grasp, pushing her delicate palms against my chest. “What if I want more? What if I need more of your delicious cunt wrapped around my cock while you scream my name?”

Her breath hitches and satisfaction grows in my chest. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” My voice becomes husky.

She shakes her head quickly. “No. I don’t want anything else from you. We can’t be anything more.”

“The way your nipples are poking my chest through your shirt and your pupils dilate, tell me you want this as much as I do.”

“It’s November and I don’t have a jacket. That’s the only reason my nipples are hard,” she counters.

I pull her closer, leaning in so I can whisper in her ear. “How about your pussy? If I slide my hands into your pants, will she be wet for me? Aching for me to fill her with my cock?”

She swallows audibly. “No.”

I hum, adjusting us so her wrists are clasped behind her back in my grasp. Using my free hand, I gently caress the toned skin of her abdomen. She clenches her muscles and begins to squirm.

“Let’s test that, shall we?”

“Rhys, stop.” She whimpers, but her body relaxes and melts into my touch.

She sucks in a sharp breath when I reach my hand down her pants. I groan at the feel of the soft patch of trimmed hair on her mound.

“Fuck, baby,” I whisper.

The noise of the city fades into the background. I don’t give a rat’s ass that we’re on the sidewalk where anyone can see us.

In fact, I hope people watch so they can know she is mine. I’d happily stake my claim on Sarah right here, right now.

She moans when I trace circles around her clit. I can feel the warmth radiating from her core.

“Oh God,” She sighs as I swipe my fingers through her wet slit.

“Not God, mo réalta . There is no God here.”

“Rhys,” she pants.

“That’s right, baby,” I praise, pressing two fingers into her entrance. Her walls wrap around them, pulling them further inside. “You’re such a good little slut, letting me finger fuck you right here on the sidewalk.”

She pulses around me, her arousal coating my hand.

“Are you going to come for me?” I whisper in her ear.

“Yes. Yes, I’m going to come for you.” Her pants become erratic, and her pussy tenses.

“Mmm.” I pull my fingers out of her, then raise them to my mouth. She watches with annoyance at her denied orgasm but lusts at me sucking her sweet nectar from my fingers.

“You’re not going to let me come?” she growls, chest heaving.

“You’ve been avoiding me, Sarah. When you’ve learned your lesson, then you can come.”

I toss her over my shoulder when she thrashes, trying to loosen my grip around her wrists.

“Put me down!” she shrieks, slamming her fists against my back and ass.

She yelps when my palm connects with her ass cheek. “Not until you’ve learned your lesson about who you belong to.”

“I don’t belong to anyone!” she shouts.

Pedestrians watch with mixed expressions of concern and fear as I toss her into the SUV and buckle her seatbelt. Rounding the hood, I hop into the driver’s seat and drive down the road with an angry Sarah next to me.